Articulator



` July 8, 1947- A". SHMUKLER ET A1. I 2,423,522

ARTI CULATOR Filed May 4, 1945 INVENToRs e Alberi' Shmuk/er Harry Bronstein ATTORNEY Patented July 8, 1947 UNITED STATES PATE-NIT orf-"Fics ARTICULATOR AlbertShmukler and Harryv Bonsteim.

Philadelphia; Pa;

Application'May 4, 1945; .SerialNo':.591,9I6i

3 Claims.

Thisfinvention relates to the art of denture construction, and Amore particularly, relatesto dental articulators.

In the art of mechanical dentistry, models of humanY jaws are mounted on an articulator to reproducethe natural relative positions of the jaws. An essentialrequirementis that the jaw models-bemounted On the' articulator in such manner that centricocclusion is simulated. The correct' bite registration is often not obtained on initial mounting on the articulator. Consequently it is-desirablethat provision be'rmade for adjustment, of the relative configuration of they jaw models on the artioulator. In articulatorsheretofioreavailable, it wasv notI possible to adjust this relative conguration short of reinvestment of the'jaw modelsV in plaster or recasting of thejaw models.

One; ofthe main objects of our invention is to provide a dental articulatorV for mounting jaw models, in which the relative configuration of themod'els can be adjusted in all possible directionswith utmost ease and simplicity Another object of our invention is to supply an articulator in which the jaw models are detach-V ably; mounted without plaster investment and in which the relative conguration ofthejaws is readily adjustable.

Another object of the invention is to. provide an articulator having, an uppermounting. plate attached t a laterallyand protrusivelyl movable hinged bracket by a locking universal joint.

A further object of our invention is `to produce an articulator havingr an upper mounting plate attached to a hinged bracket'by a lockingoombination universal joint and slidefengagement.`

Still another object of the invention is to provide anarti'culator having an upper plate mounted for combined locking angular and translational adjustment with a single control.r

With these and other objects in view which will become. apparent from the ensuing description and claims, the following describesrthe details of construction'andcombination ofv parts ofa specicembodiment of our invention, which we illustrate as an example, and which will best be understood when read in conjunction-with the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of our artilculator.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of.` the articulator.

Fig.v 3y is a fragmentary side elevational section onthe line 3-3xof Fig. 2, showing the articulator with vjaw models andy restorationsi-n place there-- Eig.:v l fis, afragmentary perspective.viewyv `partly insection, showing the separate vparts-of thesld ingguniversal joint.

Fig. 5 is a'l fragmentary view, partly in section. o1'V the assembled joint .of 4.'-

Fig. .6 is aview similar toFi'g. .5.sh'owing the partsof the joint' in eli-different' angular relation..

Fig.. r'lisaplan view of tlevupper jaw model mountinginsert.A

Referring tothe drawingr we haveshown in Figs. l' to 3.,` an f articulator. base.. I ll having a forward lower mountingplate I Iland'a generally upright rear part I 2. Hinged to the part IZ for oscillation on.a transverse axis. is a bracket. I3' havinglat-l erally` extending-rounded ends. lllwith extensions of .reduceddiameter forming.. trunnions. -I 5i 'termi-v natinginknurled knobsL IBL The trunnions. I5 area,dapted to engage openbearings -I1`frmed in ,lateral .endsltll of .the part l2', the bearings, I'l having bearingways I9'.to permit a'moderate'dlgree lof .lateral 4oscillation ofthe bracket I3 about the endsl 8as pivotsby suitablemanipulation .of tl-1e..lmobsh I6. A`.flat`spring 2,0IlieldA byv a finger 2l 'is mounted laterally on .the part I2'andQbe'ars on the ends.` Ilforcingthetrunnions I5into the bearingsll.r

Extending.. rearwardlyt and downwardly, from the middleof the bracket' I3'is .amemberV 2.3J`wh'ich penetrates a. largecentra'l aperture 24 irr'thepart l2' and l curves rearwardly, and upwardly to the end 25tto. engage a bearing disk 26i`having acoaxialscrew 2'.I. engaging a' tapped opening '28` in thepart I21 The spacingof the disk'.2'6"from thet part' I2; adjusted` by means of` the Screw 2;,'llook'e-d in...position by. a Wing; nut' 29; ,and idetermines the lower limit ofoscillable movement of the .bracket I3Laboutjthe transversev axis.

Medially of the frontloi `the bracket- I3' isfan integrallyv formed vouter cupi' member 342I having" a cup.33- on the under side and a coaxialbore, 34. Within the .outer .cup 3 2." is an' inner cup member 35 having upper. generally hemisphericail por-v tion ,3510i outer radius slightly smaller thanthe cup33 and a generally4 downwardly extending cylindricallportion 3'I'terminat1'giinia' flange 38 The .inner .surface of the member 3,*5AV is concentric withth'e outersurface to forma cup. 39 witnan aperture 40 of Fconical shape at the. top; the;cone being ooaxi'allwith the Vportion-3 1`4 and havingits apex at-.the center-.ofthe portion 36.'. A'ball-'an'dsocketI jointfhaving a socketF elementA 4l with 'an integrallyformed..screwethreadedlstem 42 is pose tioned within v.the .cup.3.9,` .the stem vIl2 extending upwardlythrough the aperture` wggthrough the bore 34, fitted with a washer 43 and surmounted by a locking wing nut 44. The ball element 45 of the ball-and-socket joint has a generally downwardly extending stem 46 terminating in a transverse rectangular key or slide 41. Between the elements 4l and 45 is interposed a friction disk or cup- 48 of leather or similar material.

An upper mounting plate 53 disposed generally horizontally, has a rearward extension 54 provided with a longitudinal slot 55 having shoulders S. The slot 55 is wider than the narrow dimension of the slide 41 to permit insertion of the slide in the slot and the shoulders 56 are of sulicient width to engage the slide 41 when it is turned with its long dimension at right angles to the slot, to form a sliding engagement.

The relation of t-he parts and operation of the combined locking universal and slide joint is as follows: As the nut 44 is tightened, the stem 42 is pulled upwardly, the pull being transmitted to the slide 41 through the Socket 4 I the ball 45 and the stem 45. The slide 41 pushes the extension 54 upwardly into engagement with the flange 38 causing the inner cup member to move upwardly into engagement with the cup 33. Further tightening of the nut 44 merely locks the parts more rmly into the selected position. As clearly illustrated in Figs. 3, 5 and 6, the length of the stem 46 is such that there is adequate vertical clearance between the socket 4I and the cup 39. The bottom surface of the flange 38 and the to-p surface of the extension 54 may be suitably roughened to insure adequate frictional engagement.

The plate 53 is roughly triangular in shape conforming generally to the shape of the human jaw, the sides 6I and 82 being slightly arcuate in shape. symmetrically disposed adjacent the triangular vertices ofthe plate 53 are three downwardly projecting cups 63 and in the center is a drilled hole 64 counterbored at the bottom. The lower plate I I is similarly shaped with the cups 63 projecting upwardly and with the central drilled hole 65 Vcounterbored. at the top. A freely rotatable knurled-head thumb screw 65 is mounted in the opening 64 with the screw-threaded end 61 protruding downwardly. A retaining washer 68 fixed to screw 65 and disposed within the counterboring of the opening 64 prevents removal of the screw 66. An upwardly projecting identical screw 69 is similarlymcunted in plate II.

Two insert plates 15, similar to plate 53 in general shape, each have -pressed indentations 11 formed in one surface 18 appropriately shaped and spaced to engage the cups 63 of the plates 53 and II, and a tapped central aperture 19 for engaging the screws 66 and. 69. On each insert 15 the surface opposite to the surface 18 is provided with a perimetric projection or flange 88.

- The inserts 15 are cast in with the jaw models as illustrated in Fig. 3, the flanges 8D providing adequate retention. The lower jaw model 85 is instantly attachable to the plate II by means of screw 69, and the upper jaw model 88 to the plate 53 by means of screw 53, the cups 63 readily engaging the indentations 11 to provide proper alignment. The desired relative configuration between the jaw models is obtained by fitting the Wax bite or check-bite (not illustrated) between the models 85 and 86 in the customary manner. Thisl procedure positions the upper plate 53 exactly where it is desired to be held on the articulator when the bracket I3 is in its rest position, that is, when both trunnions I5 are at their forward limits of movement in the bearings I1.

With the bracket I3 in rest position, the upper plate 53 is then fixed in the desired relative configuration by suitably adjusting the -disk 26 and tightening the nut 44. The jaw setting thus obtained is more accurate than the present method entailing investment with plaster and is capable of instant reproduction at any time as long as the nut 44 is not loosened or the adjustment of disk 25 is not changed. It is obvious that the jaw models can be removed and, with the aid of wax bites, or trial or finished dentures, for establishing the bite registration, can be replaced with accurate setting on any other of our articulators, as often as desired, for grinding in of the restorations 81 and 83 or for other purposes.

Although the invention has been shown with the jaw models S5 and 85 attached to plates Il and 53 by means of the inserts 15 and. screws 55 and 53, it is obvious that the models could be attached to plates i I and 53 by the usual practice of plaster investment. Adjustment of bite registration would be made as previously outlined by adjusting the bearing disk 23 and the combined locking universal and slide joint. Such plaster attachment would not be quite as convenient for mail service between laboratory and dental office, but this could be partially remedied by constructing the lower mounting plate II tobe detachably secured `at the rear to the base I0 by machine screws rather than formed integrally therewith as illustrated -in Fig. 3. For transportation purposes the plate 53 could be readily removed from the arti'culator by loosening the nut 44 and. removing the slide 41 from the slofI 55, and the plate I I could be detached from the base by removing the machine screws securing it to the base it. However, because the adjustment would be lost, reregistration with wax bites or dentures would be required to replace the models in the articulator in the desired configuration.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, as other embodiments will be evident to those skilled in the art, as well as obvious modifications in construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

l. A combined locking universal and slidable joint comprising in combination, an outer member having a cupped opening and a, coaxial bore, a cup member comprising generally a hollow hemisphere surmounting a hollow cylinder, the hemispherieal part having an aperture concentric with the cylinder and being proportioned and arranged to fit loosely within said cupped opening, a balland-socket joint having a socket element provided with ascrew-threaded stem and having a ball element provided with a stem terminating in a transverse key, a terminal member having a slot slidably engageable with the ball stem but narrower than said key, and a lock nut, said balland-socket joint being mounted within said cup member and having the socket element stem protruding through the aperture in the cup member and the bore in the outer member and surmounted by said nut, and the parts being so proportioned that by tightening the nut the outer and terminal members are lockable in any of their possible relative positions.

2. A combined locking universal and slidable joint comprising in combination, a first member, arterminal member, an intermediate hollow member interposed between said rst member and said terminal member, aball-and-socket joint having a ball element and a socket element disposed generally Withn said intermediate member, one of said elements being keyed to said terminal member for slidable engagement therewith and the other element being arranged to engage said rst member and be pulled theretoward, and means to pull said other element toward said first member and maintain tension on said balland-socket joint, whereby to compress said intermediate member between said first member and said terminal member and X said members in any of their possible relative positions.

3. In an articulator having a support for mounting a jaw model, a jaw model, an insert adapted to be cast integrally with said model and provided with a protuding flange to insure retention therein, said support being provided with three triangularly disposed projecting oups and an intermediately disposed ibore, said insert having indentations appropriately shaped and spaced to engage said cups and a tapped opening aligned with the bore when said cups are engaged by 6 said indentations, and a thumb screw protruding through said bore and engaging the threads in said opening, whereby detaohably to secure said model to said support in readily reproducible relative position.

ALBERT SHMUKLER.

HARRY BRONSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

